Flintlock geometry

[tenngun]

I’ve had a Davis that didn’t preform well, very happy with another. Chambers Siler works right out of the box. I got a siler from an unknown maker that’s as good as my Chambers. Had a great L&R. Had a El Cheapo Japanese Tower Pistol that would set my rug on fire if I snapped it in the house.
I’ve never understood lock geometry. Clean up the castings when I get one, apply a little grease to the bearing points. I’ve generally had good luck with good lock makers.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I agree with Zonie,
The flint angle in the jaws does not look right....

First, you can correct some of the "length" of the flint by changing how you load the "leather"....

You can make a hole at the center of the wrap so that when folded in half, there is an opening, allowing the back of the flint to touch the jaw screw. This will not harm the lock.

THEN because the flints are always unique, sometimes you need to adjust them in the jaws. So what I do is put a shim under the back end of the flint. In a military musket that uses a lead wrap, I put some extra pieces of lead. In a rifle or smoothbore lock where I'm using leather, I put a piece of wood (like a small piece of a small matchstick) under the back end of the flint.

The shim with a lead wrap:

What this does is cause the front edge of the flint to "cam down" a bit. I'd suggest you try these two changes in how you load your flint into your lock.

LD

 

[shootrj2003]

I hear these problems and it always amazes me that builders make and design locks but some have no actual idea of the proper geometry involved. I’ve owned and improved a few on advice from others,and finally built one from scratch and a board of curly maple and a Lyman barrel,learned a lot and made some mistakes but it is a good rifle,but I bought a good lock ,to avoid any problems there.
It does seem that there are even “good” locks that aren’t proper geometrically ,this is a wonder to me because flintlocks were the common form of ignition for everything from pistols up to cannons for well on to 200 years ,more than enough time to perfect a precise geometry,heck,we fought wars,personal fights,duels and hunted across half of America and the rest of the world with untold millions of locks that we could not afford to be imperfect but now 150 years after the percussion cap and cartridge came along many makers can’t make locks right,and back then they were made by hand one at a time sometimes by a blacksmith who was not a gunsmith by trade. It amazes me no one wrote anything down!! Lol

 

[Rudyard]

I hear these problems and it always amazes me that builders make and design locks but some have no actual idea of the proper geometry involved. I’ve owned and improved a few on advice from others,and finally built one from scratch and a board of curly maple and a Lyman barrel,learned a lot and made some mistakes but it is a good rifle,but I bought a good lock ,to avoid any problems there.
It does seem that there are even “good” locks that aren’t proper geometrically ,this is a wonder to me because flintlocks were the common form of ignition for everything from pistols up to cannons for well on to 200 years ,more than enough time to perfect a precise geometry,heck,we fought wars,personal fights,duels and hunted across half of America and the rest of the world with untold millions of locks that we could not afford to be imperfect but now 150 years after the percussion cap and cartridge came along many makers can’t make locks right,and back then they were made by hand one at a time sometimes by a blacksmith who was not a gunsmith by trade. It amazes me no one wrote anything down!! Lol

Very probably no maker wrote of his locks vitues .Why pass good ideas to rivals ? .plus in the high old days flint ruled supreme , Like handkerchiefs & tinder boxes no body thought it nessasary to send it out with instructions of how to use them .They knew to some extent .We these days are trying to reinvent the wheel .Silers lock was fine but needed special short flint for "Small Silas' was what Tom Fuller labeled them as I found if you took the scear of a North Star Trade gun lock you got that desirable boldly stood on half bent & boldly at full .A feature considered by Mack Vance who in the end sold it to L&R who added an exterior bridle (Which they don't need nor was this a common original feature )He called it the' Classic 'Ive not used a Chambers Siler to say but the old Siler would admit of the longer scear nose. .. I used Davis & Chambers and particularly like the Davis Twigg most locks are a way better improuvment from the 1970 s offerings I've ommited the L&R 'Durs Egg' & 'Manton' nothing much wrong there but only knew Liston & Rice (They told me it stood for' Loose & Rusty' ) & then Bill Cox had it . Ime quite out of touch with current offerings, But like Chambers locks he once gave me a plate & **** & steel so I made it into an' English lock' with small late 'Dog catch', internally works fine .Whane Dunlap sold or gave me a stock with a shake so it wouldn't suit a US style but I made a cheek stock carbine & wed these bits to a 1in18" pitch oct brl carbine . A rejected experiment of 58 cal the owner of Orion Barrel was into long range ugly but accurate rifles I presumed it was from such a trial . Price was trifleing so whole rifle cost me nothing but my time . Friendship shoot where a hot dusty grind but I did meet some fine gentlemen in the gun parts department & bought lots of barrels & locks bungle them up post them far & wide just like that unlike todays anti gun world .
Regards Rudyard